Haulin' the Goods

Here, Grasshopper is loaded with another bedful of material for the dump.

John and I spent most of the day today pulling through piles of scrap metal and debris while watching carefully for "Mr. No-Shoulders" who has made several other appearances in weeks prior. We hauled off scrap steel siding, some aluminium, old tires, crumbling pvc, and rusted-out 55 gal. drums. The folks who work at the dump must think we have a scrap business.

It is interesting to be in the position of watching people watching us. People in expensive cars passing us in our 1978 Ford Courier, coated with house paint and loaded with rusting and dirty scrap materials, are prone to give us a particular look... What an opportunity to see the world differently!

A hard day but a good day as the Rock Farm gets cleaned up and spruced up.

Rock Farm lower pad clearing

Just when you thought I was napping, comes the proof of genuine industry.
Here's a rough phone photo of the area John and I cleared yesterday and today. We kept a screen to the driveway but limbed up the trees and cut out all the underbrush. We also annoyed a family of king snakes, hordes of lizzards and more grasshoppers than either of us had ever seen.

To read more about the Rock Farm Project and see more photos, follow this link or select Rock Farm Project from the link list on the right side of this page.

Making an ol' man sweat

Making a park out of the Rock Farm is a chore. "Grasshopper" is a reference to a gift 1978 Ford Courier. Like a free puppy, you get attached and then you can spend some bucks...

This area is suffering an historic drought and is 17" below average rainfall so far this year. The heat is intense when combined with the humidity. Thankfully I'm working along side my nephew John wh's good humor and consistant work ethic keep me goin. (That and a couple of gallons of water daily!)

This place is beautiful despite snakes and poison ivy. We're trying to be careful how we proceed to make it habitable.

I'll be working on this property for the next few years so I'm adding it to my journal to reflect the reality of balancing work and personal life.